Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jan 27, 2010 11:31 pm Hi all, like most people in here I've been lurking around for sometime now and have decided to join in the fun. We have a block of land with a fall of around 3 metres and are wanting to take advantage of the view as well as see the kids in the backyard. We have come up the the attached plan and are looking forward to your comments. Thanks Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Our plans for a sloping block 2Jan 27, 2010 11:53 pm I like it except for the study/laundry/pantry/linen area. The study looks tiny, but I guess it depends on how you envisage using it. It wouldn't suit us but it might suit you. I would hate to be carting all my dirty washing into the laundry through the pantry. And linen cupboards in laundries worry me because of the potential humidity, though I guess there are factors that can affect the likelihood of that. Have you worked out the required length of those stairs? I really don't know but they look a little short to me so I'm wondering "is it just me?" Re: Our plans for a sloping block 3Jan 28, 2010 8:22 am Ok, you asked for my comments, so here we go. I don't want to sound critical, but I'll point out all the good and not so good points I see. In the end it's your house, so you don't have to take anything I say seriously The good: - Good start. The house flows well and has a nice feel to it. - I love the family/dining area looking over the deck and pool. It will give the house the wow factor. The bedrooms surrounding that area also look nice. The bathroom is in a perfect position for wet kiddies. - Plenty of garage space. You always seem to need it ! - Master bedroom upstairs. I love the idea as it's a true parent's retreat. My current home has the master bedroom on it's own level and we love it. I bought a sloping block to build on a little while back and designed the master bedroom on the first floor (I ended up selling that block though and buying elsewhere). The WIR and ensuite are huge giving you plenty of scope for design. - Nice wide entry, with full view of the back area of the house. Hopefully those double doors are for airconditioning and are not to be closed permanently. When you walk into your house, you'll see all the way down to the deck and it should "pop". The not so good: - I agree with a couple of things Macy said. I'm also not a big fan of walking through a pantry to get to the laundry. To me the laundry is the dirtiest room in the house, and the pantry should be the cleanest, so having I don't like having them next to each other I also don't like that you have to walk through the pantry every time to get into the house from the garage (and vice versa). - Macy is also correct in that the stairs aren't long enough and won't get you up to the first floor. Although they won't need to be a full set of stairs, as it's a split level home and the living areas are lower than the entry, by the looks of it you'll probably need another 5 steps to get upstairs. - The hallway in the master suite doesn't make sense to me. It decreases the size of the room dramatically to the point where it's nearly the same size as the WIR. TO have a large ensuite, large WIR, and a small bedroom (in comparison) seems a bit odd. Maybe you could look at another option if you need a door at the top of the stairs. - The ensuite doesn't work that well for me. For a big room, it will feel very tight. I think that you could easily reconfigure it to make it work a little better. - The cupboards in the theatre. You're theatre seating will have to be too far forward to allow these cupboards to open. DO you need them - it's not like you lack storage in that house - Vanity basins outside bathrooms - I don't know why people do this ? Although they are only kids rooms, when the kids get older there is no privacy. It means you have to get dressed after taking a shower before you can leave the bathroom. So all the stuff people do in front of the mirror in only a towel (ie applying deodorant, shaving, possibly cleaning teeth ) wouldn't be done in privacy. - The cloak room kind of gets in the way. You could tile an area in front of the stairs and avoid the wall in your garage space. With the cloak room you also have to go through 4 doors to get into the house ! (2 cloak room doors, laundry and pantry) Obviously these are only my opinions, so take them how you will. If you are happy with it now, then go for it Blog is now up - http://www.jbdave.blogspot.com/ Re: Our plans for a sloping block 4Jan 28, 2010 12:02 pm Hi landit, Where abouts are you looking at building? Have you got any builders in mind? Watch out any restrictions on second story windows and balconies. We are unable to have anything facing towards a neighbours property. So only front of house balconies and side and rear glass frosted to 1.7m. I would try to get the dining room table out of the view down the hall. Also it would help to indicate North on the drawing so we can consider light, heat and cooling issues. We have similar requirements but have put the master downstairs and Bed2/3 upstairs.(Blackwood Park SA) see: http://www.imagebam.com/image/86722762716823 rgds 71monaro Slab poured 21/04/2011 Frame finished 27/05/2011 Moved in 07/11/2011 Re: Our plans for a sloping block 5Jan 28, 2010 12:16 pm I also forgot to ask if you have worked out how you are supporting the top floor structurally. Some big steel may be required judging by where your top floor lines up over your ground floor. Blog is now up - http://www.jbdave.blogspot.com/ Re: Our plans for a sloping block 6Jan 28, 2010 1:16 pm jbdave - Vanity basins outside bathrooms - I don't know why people do this ? Although they are only kids rooms, when the kids get older there is no privacy. We have a 3-way bathroom - I think they're getting more popular now because it allows use of the toilet at the same time as someone is using the bath/shower. Less fights for families with multiple children who don't want more than one bathroom. Re: Our plans for a sloping block 7Jan 28, 2010 1:45 pm I love the flow and I like the way you have used the split levels.... I think its will work really well as a family home. As for the cupboards in the media room, why dont you put them on either side of the door so its a more workable space with regards to location of the TV and couches. I love the location of the main bathroom, its gets rid of the need for a powder room at all. My only advice would be to make sure that you have plenty of storage to minimise junk being left on the countertop for visitors. I would even be tempted to use those hidden full height mirror cabinet to hide the toothbrushes etc. Also - the double doors where the foyer enters the dining family room. Have you considered having a recess door with clear glass.... they are great when it comes to a really clean look and then even when it is closed you will have this amazing view of the pool. Other than that and the ensuite needing to be ... maybe slightly readjusted I think its pretty close to perfect. This is a display home in WA that used the space really really well. It felt large and luxurious and I swear I could live in this bath.... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE IS 495 SQM OF BEACH SAND AND WEEDS! http://missvintageshouseofpain.blogspot.com/ Re: Our plans for a sloping block 8Jan 28, 2010 1:51 pm Quote: We have a 3-way bathroom - I think they're getting more popular now because it allows use of the toilet at the same time as someone is using the bath/shower. Less fights for families with multiple children who don't want more than one bathroom. We had the same issue with bathrooms (one bathroom for the kiddies, seperate toilet) so we added a basin to the toilet. The bathroom and toilet then both stand alone. Each to their own Blog is now up - http://www.jbdave.blogspot.com/ Re: Our plans for a sloping block 9Jan 28, 2010 9:12 pm I like the laundry/pantry area. I don't think your laundry has to be dirty just because you wash your clothes there. I like your cloak room, that would be great for my kids school bags & sandy kindy shoes. They drop everything in a trail from the car to the tv now, better do it in the same place every day. I like the double cavity doors on the study, opening it up to keep the kids close then shutting their mess in when visitors arrive. Your Master Suite is a fantastic size, though you do lose a lot to that hall. Do you need it to be so private as it is your own floor? I also wonder whether you will have a problem in the Home Cinema with that wall of cupboards. It could make furniture placement difficult. My only real problem would be that your kids rooms seem a long way from yours, effectively down 3 levels. Are your kids small? That would be a problem for me as mine are still little. Would be great for teenagers. You have a nice flow. If the spaces work for you go for it! Re: Our plans for a sloping block 10Jan 31, 2010 4:01 pm Macy I like it except for the study/laundry/pantry/linen area. The study looks tiny, but I guess it depends on how you envisage using it. It wouldn't suit us but it might suit you. I would hate to be carting all my dirty washing into the laundry through the pantry. And linen cupboards in laundries worry me because of the potential humidity, though I guess there are factors that can affect the likelihood of that. Have you worked out the required length of those stairs? I really don't know but they look a little short to me so I'm wondering "is it just me?" Hi Macy thanks for your honest reply. I have since changed the entry to the WIL to the foyer which now gives be more space in the laundry. lol regarding the stairs I'm not sure on the length of them I've just put them in for now and the builders/ engineers i'm guessing will correct it. Re: Our plans for a sloping block 11Jan 31, 2010 4:07 pm jbdave Ok, you asked for my comments, so here we go. I don't want to sound critical, but I'll point out all the good and not so good points I see. In the end it's your house, so you don't have to take anything I say seriously The good: - Good start. The house flows well and has a nice feel to it. - I love the family/dining area looking over the deck and pool. It will give the house the wow factor. The bedrooms surrounding that area also look nice. The bathroom is in a perfect position for wet kiddies. - Plenty of garage space. You always seem to need it ! - Master bedroom upstairs. I love the idea as it's a true parent's retreat. My current home has the master bedroom on it's own level and we love it. I bought a sloping block to build on a little while back and designed the master bedroom on the first floor (I ended up selling that block though and buying elsewhere). The WIR and ensuite are huge giving you plenty of scope for design. - Nice wide entry, with full view of the back area of the house. Hopefully those double doors are for airconditioning and are not to be closed permanently. When you walk into your house, you'll see all the way down to the deck and it should "pop". The not so good: - I agree with a couple of things Macy said. I'm also not a big fan of walking through a pantry to get to the laundry. To me the laundry is the dirtiest room in the house, and the pantry should be the cleanest, so having I don't like having them next to each other I also don't like that you have to walk through the pantry every time to get into the house from the garage (and vice versa). - Macy is also correct in that the stairs aren't long enough and won't get you up to the first floor. Although they won't need to be a full set of stairs, as it's a split level home and the living areas are lower than the entry, by the looks of it you'll probably need another 5 steps to get upstairs. - The hallway in the master suite doesn't make sense to me. It decreases the size of the room dramatically to the point where it's nearly the same size as the WIR. TO have a large ensuite, large WIR, and a small bedroom (in comparison) seems a bit odd. Maybe you could look at another option if you need a door at the top of the stairs. - The ensuite doesn't work that well for me. For a big room, it will feel very tight. I think that you could easily reconfigure it to make it work a little better. - The cupboards in the theatre. You're theatre seating will have to be too far forward to allow these cupboards to open. DO you need them - it's not like you lack storage in that house - Vanity basins outside bathrooms - I don't know why people do this ? Although they are only kids rooms, when the kids get older there is no privacy. It means you have to get dressed after taking a shower before you can leave the bathroom. So all the stuff people do in front of the mirror in only a towel (ie applying deodorant, shaving, possibly cleaning teeth ) wouldn't be done in privacy. - The cloak room kind of gets in the way. You could tile an area in front of the stairs and avoid the wall in your garage space. With the cloak room you also have to go through 4 doors to get into the house ! (2 cloak room doors, laundry and pantry) Obviously these are only my opinions, so take them how you will. If you are happy with it now, then go for it Hi jbdave, thanks so much for your honest reply (your build looks great by the way.) I have changed the bathroom, it's funny that I have 2 DD's and didn't even think about the bathroom issues that you stated. I've also taken out the cupboards in the home theatre. I've just got to figure out the upstairs section now as I am not happy with it. Thanks again Re: Our plans for a sloping block 12Jan 31, 2010 4:10 pm MissVintage I love the flow and I like the way you have used the split levels.... I think its will work really well as a family home. As for the cupboards in the media room, why dont you put them on either side of the door so its a more workable space with regards to location of the TV and couches. I love the location of the main bathroom, its gets rid of the need for a powder room at all. My only advice would be to make sure that you have plenty of storage to minimise junk being left on the countertop for visitors. I would even be tempted to use those hidden full height mirror cabinet to hide the toothbrushes etc. Also - the double doors where the foyer enters the dining family room. Have you considered having a recess door with clear glass.... they are great when it comes to a really clean look and then even when it is closed you will have this amazing view of the pool. Other than that and the ensuite needing to be ... maybe slightly readjusted I think its pretty close to perfect. This is a display home in WA that used the space really really well. It felt large and luxurious and I swear I could live in this bath.... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Hi Miss Vintage thanks for your reply I just love the idea of your clear glass door wow wouldn't that be nice thing to have. I can't get the upstairs right at all so thanks for your suggestion it's still a work in progress. Re: Our plans for a sloping block 13Jan 31, 2010 4:17 pm With regards to the theatre, you could almost "flip it". Move the doors over to the left slightly, and put the chairs on the right hand side. You could then put the screen on the other side,and have a cupboard door either side of the screen. The screen could also be set back into the cupboard space which would look awesome. Blog is now up - http://www.jbdave.blogspot.com/ Re: Our plans for a sloping block 14Jan 31, 2010 4:27 pm 71monaro Hi landit, Where abouts are you looking at building? Have you got any builders in mind? Watch out any restrictions on second story windows and balconies. We are unable to have anything facing towards a neighbours property. So only front of house balconies and side and rear glass frosted to 1.7m. I would try to get the dining room table out of the view down the hall. Also it would help to indicate North on the drawing so we can consider light, heat and cooling issues. We have similar requirements but have put the master downstairs and Bed2/3 upstairs.(Blackwood Park SA) see: http://www.imagebam.com/image/86722762716823 rgds 71monaro Hi 71monaro I just love your house design it's almost what I started with. I started with our master suite at the front of the house too. Not sure about the restrictions on our windows as yet. Back of house is north facing. Thanks for you comments Re: Our plans for a sloping block 15Jan 31, 2010 4:32 pm jbdave With regards to the theatre, you could almost "flip it". Move the doors over to the left slightly, and put the chairs on the right hand side. You could then put the screen on the other side,and have a cupboard door either side of the screen. The screen could also be set back into the cupboard space which would look awesome. Oh jbdave your a gem I just love your idea. I was just playing around with that room and really wanted some sort of cupboard in there. Re: Our plans for a sloping block 16Jan 31, 2010 5:03 pm mb@147a I like the laundry/pantry area. I don't think your laundry has to be dirty just because you wash your clothes there. I like your cloak room, that would be great for my kids school bags & sandy kindy shoes. They drop everything in a trail from the car to the tv now, better do it in the same place every day. I like the double cavity doors on the study, opening it up to keep the kids close then shutting their mess in when visitors arrive. Your Master Suite is a fantastic size, though you do lose a lot to that hall. Do you need it to be so private as it is your own floor? I also wonder whether you will have a problem in the Home Cinema with that wall of cupboards. It could make furniture placement difficult. My only real problem would be that your kids rooms seem a long way from yours, effectively down 3 levels. Are your kids small? That would be a problem for me as mine are still little. Would be great for teenagers. You have a nice flow. If the spaces work for you go for it! Hi mb@147a thanks for your honest comments. It's funny what we design for our kiddies, storage for shoes, bags, coats junk, room distances, noise control etc. I'm still working on the second floor layout as I'm not happy with the way it looks. I had orginally had our bedroom downstairs to be closer to them but decided to go up and take in the views. I hope our DD's are okay (they tell me they will be lol) Cheers Re: Our plans for a sloping block 17Jan 31, 2010 5:06 pm Pipe jbdave - Vanity basins outside bathrooms - I don't know why people do this ? Although they are only kids rooms, when the kids get older there is no privacy. We have a 3-way bathroom - I think they're getting more popular now because it allows use of the toilet at the same time as someone is using the bath/shower. Less fights for families with multiple children who don't want more than one bathroom. Hi Pipe I have been following your blog for awhile what a wonderful house you have come up with I love the layout. I've changed the bathroom to include double basin for the DD's this should stop any fights between them. Thanks again Give Jonathan a call. Tell him you know me. He is in my opinion the best surveyor I have ever worked with. His number is 0425 285 622 All the best Simeon 3 12362 i did click it, still couldnt make it out rofl. in any case, doesnt look like too extreme a slope, you may be in luck. Just shoot out some emails to volume builders in… 3 18543 Howdy all. I am looking for feedback on what people would do to maximise and make an area as flat as possible. First, out the front of the house is a sloping hill, pretty… 0 20135 |